Wines of the week | Reds that are worth the detour

Ah, the pinot noir! The heart-breaking grape variety, as the winegrowers call it, because it is not easy to make a great wine from it. Here are two that are excellent, at very different prices, but both worth it. And a Syrah from the Rhône which impresses with its balance and great freshness!

Veronique Rivest
Sommelier, guest collaborator

A Syrah not to be missed

A new arrival of this Clos Bellane La Petite Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019 is being distributed: if you can’t find it, ask for it to be ordered for you. Don’t miss it! This marvelous domain of Valréas produces wines which are a tour de force of balance between power and freshness. Stéphane Vedeau, the winemaker, will tell you that it has everything to do with the terroir. Made from 100% Syrah, the wine opens with a fragrant nose, with accents of blackberry, raspberry and anise, with a hint of meat and violet. The fruit is very ripe and fills the mouth, while remaining fresh and crunchy. Notes of spice and garrigue add complexity, and a clear mineral impression stretches on the finish with light tannins. Very harmonious, it will accompany lamb chops, sausages or vegetables grilled on the barbecue.

Clos Bellane La Petite Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019, $20.95 (14559500), 14.5%, organic

Aging: 2 or 3 years

Long live Pinot Libre!

Huge crush on this delicious pinot! “Freyheit” – freedom in German – sums up the vision of the Heinrich family well. All the wines from this excellent domain come from a biodynamic culture and very natural and minimally interventionist vinification. Made with a large proportion of whole bunches, this Pinot Noir spends 40 months on the lees in an amphora. With a very pale color, it offers a very nice nose, fine, fruity, fragrant, with notes of small red fruits, flowers and spices. And what a shine in the mouth! Fresh and toned, light but with depth and complexity, grain to texture and delicate, super fine tannins. Appetizing, delicious and tasty! It will accompany grilled fish or poultry, pan-fried wild mushrooms, a salad of beets or chicken livers.

Weingut Heinrich Freyheit Pinot Noir Wine from Austria 2018, $25.70 (14974501), 12%, organic

Aging: 3 or 4 years

All in finesse

There are only about fifty branches left, but I wanted to mention this second huge favorite, the Domaine Antonin Guyon Beaune Clos de la Chaume Gaufriot Monopole 2018. Two of the most beautiful qualities of a good pinot are a intoxicating fragrance and a silky texture. We find both here, with great finesse; this is not a wine for thrill seekers! The nose is terribly charming, with very fine aromas of red fruits, Morello cherry and currant, which intertwine with notes of undergrowth and noble vegetal. The palate, racy and elegant, offers ripe fruit and a silky texture, complexity and depth, but still full of finesse. Light tannins bring relief to a long, delicate finish. Melted and very harmonious, it will accompany sweetbreads, roast poultry, veal chop with mushrooms.

Domaine Antonin Guyon Beaune Clos de la Chaume Gaufriot Monopole 2018, $61.75 (14944571), 13%, organic

Aging: 4 to 6 years